Dehydrating away

[susiecruise]

So now is the time! Who is busy drying "veggies" and any tips for conserving energy?

[susiecruise]

For some reason, I like to carry dried tomatoes for any meal anytime, almost like hot peppers, oh wait......that's what I'll be drying soon. Autumn hiking has it's plus's

[gunner76]

I have more peppers than I can eat so I have been dehydrating the excess

[pelenaka]

August & Sept is my preserving season in general mainly home canning. Depending if hubby scores venison or we barter for some then dehydrating season can last till Nov.
I have peaches on trays now will be followed by pear roll ups, my first time for that recipe. Not a big fan of pears unless surrounded by pastry but I will be gifted a bushel or two soon so ...
Can't keep seasoned zucchini chips in house as soon as they come off the trays, lol.

[marshbirder]

I bought a dehydrator on Friday and I love it so far! I've done peaches, apples, mangoes, and pineapples. I'm looking forward to trying out veggies and meals for camping.

[Rocket Jones]

I've been doing ground beef jerky and need to replenish my spinach supply and maybe make some tomato powder. Other than that, I'm set for the rest of the year and probably well into next Spring.

[gsingjane]

I noticed that ALDI had a dehydrator as one of its "special buys" this week. It was about $20-ish and looked to be of fairly decent quality.

[annamagpie]

I've been doing ground beef jerky and need to replenish my spinach supply and maybe make some tomato powder. Other than that, I'm set for the rest of the year and probably well into next Spring. Do you have a recipe for your ground beef jerky you'd like to share--pretty please?

[annamagpie]

I've been making extra for my meals and dehydrating them. I've got chille rellenos and Mexican rice going right now. I'm a little worried about the greasiness of the cheese. I made extra grits , sausage , and scrambled eggs the other day. That seemed to work well except I probably should have done the sausage separately--again--the greasiness factor. Not sure if it will mold...

[rustmd]

i've been dehydrating my meals for hikes for a few years now. . .but i just added a vacuum sealer a few months ago--should've bought that a long time ago, makes a huge difference in how my dehydrated meals keep. i make a mean minestrone soup (from the pages of "A Fork in the Trail") but experienced some molding due to the cheese. by vacuum sealing my meals i have eliminated that problem.

.com

[Rocket Jones]

Do you have a recipe for your ground beef jerky you'd like to share--pretty please?

Got this off the internet. I reduced the amount of liquid because the original made a very wet mix that took quite a while to dry.

4 lbs of lean ground beef (minimum 90%, 93% is better)2
1/2 cup of Worcester sauce
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of onion powder
2 tsp of Liquid Smoke
3 tsp of curing salt (if I have any, sometimes I omit it)
Mix everything but the meat together, then put the meat into a large glass mixing bowl. Next mix the seasonings into the meat, and really get in there with your hands (let the meat warm up a little on the counter first) or use a pastry cutter (works best).

I have a jerky gun (http://www.amazon.com/LEM-555-Products-Jerky-Gun/dp/B002L80J78/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1379367643&sr=8-7&keywords=jerky+gun) I bought on Amazon, but you can also roll the meat out thin and cut into strips with a knife or pizza cutter. I wind up with 3 large cookie trays full of strips (line the pans with parchment paper first). Dry in a 200* oven with the door cracked. After an hour or two, drain the trays and flip the jerky strips. Check again after an hour or two and drain or blot excess grease if needed. I don't dry mine shoe-leather hard, and keep the pound or so yield in a sealed container in the fridge. No reason to think it wouldn't freeze well or keep at room temp for a while. I'd vacuum seal it for longer storage.

[annamagpie]

ooooh thank you a million thank yous. I am new to dehydrating but I want to eat well on the trail. Just not that into ramen and poptarts! I am going to look into vacuum sealing too. I think you can buy them pretty inexpensively. Thanks!:banana:banana:banana

[annamagpie]

Thanks for the vacuum sealing idea--it will be great to eat un- moldy food!

[perrito]

It might be a good idea to separate the cheese and sausage from your dehydrated dishes and add them as fresh ingredients when you rehydrate the meal. They both should keep well for a couple of days if backpacking.

Sent via Tapatalk

[Wise Old Owl]

I noticed that ALDI had a dehydrator as one of its "special buys" this week. It was about $20-ish and looked to be of fairly decent quality.

I used it for several years under the Ron Popeii (Ronco) name... the lack of a fan and temperature control vs the Nesco is a huge difference. Nesco was worth every penny of an upgrade... appears to available at Walmart.

Going back to the original post - don't worry about the energy savings... its far to small watts vs a water heater.

[trinzushi]

Hey!

Newer to dehydrating foods but I'm trying to cut down costs on my upcoming thru-hike in 2014. Considering my house is more on the humid end I will be looking at vacuum sealers. However, considering my thru-hike isn't planned until February-April of next year.. should I consider freezing the dehydrated meals until I get them ready to ship them? I'm getting experimental with meats to make chilis, soups, etc.. And I definitely don't want my hard work molding before I even get them to the trail!

Thanks!

[The Old Boot]

Hey!

Newer to dehydrating foods but I'm trying to cut down costs on my upcoming thru-hike in 2014. Considering my house is more on the humid end I will be looking at vacuum sealers. However, considering my thru-hike isn't planned until February-April of next year.. should I consider freezing the dehydrated meals until I get them ready to ship them? I'm getting experimental with meats to make chilis, soups, etc.. And I definitely don't want my hard work molding before I even get them to the trail!

Thanks!

Definitely freeze your dehydrated meals as long as you have freezer space.

I have a whole cardboard box in the corner of the deep freeze that is full of dehydrated everything...chili and spaghetti from leftover meals, applesauce, fruits, veggies, beef, canned chicken (won't do that again...sigh) I can make enough meals now from the dehydrated stuff to do me for at least a week of meals without eating the same thing twice.

The freezing stops any deterioration during storage.

[Tipi Walter]

Graduating from the small white Nesco-type dehydrator to a bigger TSM 5 tray model has sort of revolutionized my backpacking food weight and ease of prep.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Big-Frog/i-Wnw7BkZ/0/L/TRIP%20141%20004-L.jpg
Most anything frozen can be prepared for drying---a Kashi meal thawed and ready to be dried.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Big-Frog/i-cBGVzKq/0/L/TRIP%20141%20002-L.jpg
The finished product---light and ready for boiling water and the pot cozy.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Big-Frog/i-J3qwQGz/0/L/TRIP%20141%20003-L.jpg
A full bag of frozen broccoli dries to nothing.


http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Green-Cove-Cabin/i-Lj6Nhg9/0/M/TRIP%20147%20050-M.jpg
Here's another idea for those who like brown rice but find cooked dehydrated rice to be too difficult to reconstitute---
** Cook up a big pot of brown rice with a little salt and olive oil.
** Let cool and put in blender with ample milk---whole milk if preferred.
** Blend thoroughly until rice is liquified. You can add peanut butter if you want, as above.
** Pour on silicone sheets (fruit leather sheets) and dry for a day.
** Peel off sheets and ziploc. Add to all soups and beans etc. (Boil/pot cozy for 30 minutes).


http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Backpacking-Bryan-DeLay/i-dZBhNLq/0/M/TRIP%20148%20004-M.jpg
Of course everyone does bananas. These are just sliced and ready to get dried.


http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/TRIP-137/i-QcNcLzh/0/M/TRIP%20137%20014-M.jpg
I think I posted this somewhere else, but you can cook up a box of spaghetti and add a couple jars of good sauce and mix thoroughly and dry the whole wad in the 5 trays of your dehydrator. One box/2 jars of sauce will last me a full week or 9 days on the trail.


http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Tipi-Walter-Slickrock/i-5dptQQz/0/M/Trip%20146%20400-M.jpg
Here's homedried corn with dried butternut squash. The corn once dried can also be eaten out of hand like "candy".

[susiecruise]

WOW! TipiW, that looks great and now I'm hungry! Love the dried butternut squash idea.

[TrippLite]

Okay... so just recently I have found myself having to fend for myself in the kitchen arena, it's all greek to me as grilling outdoors is where I am most comfortable. In the past I have always paid someone to make my jerky but now it is time to step up to the plate and take on the challenge myself.
I also would like to be able to dehydrate fruits, veggies and meals...

With that being said, could some of you seasoned pros recommend a suitable user friendly dehydrator that would meet my needs for me? If it were a tool I would not have a problem making a choice, I'm totally lost with all the available dehydrators on the market...
Mama always said ... "that there were gonna be days like these"

Thanks for any input

[Rasty]

The Nesco dehydrator is a good entry level unit. The Excalibur unit is a great unit.

[Butterfly58]

I recently bought a dehydrator and am in the process of drying some foods. My question is how do you know how much water is needed for REhydration when the time comes? For example, we had some leftover beef stroganoff from dinner. I want to dehydrate it for later use on the trail. How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?

[Rocket Jones]

How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?

The best answer is to practice with your recipes at home and gain experience. Usually if I'm not sure I'll add enough water to cover and put into my cozy. After a bit if it needs more water I can add a bit, if it's too soupy I'll add mashed potato flakes to thicken it up again. You can also used dehydrated mashed sweet potato, butternut squash or refried beans for thickening too.

[marshbirder]

The Nesco dehydrator is a good entry level unit. The Excalibur unit is a great unit.

I have this Nesco:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/nesco-reg-american-harvest-reg-snackmaster-reg-encore-dehydrator-and-jerky-maker/1014099344

I bought it because I had a coupon and wanted to test out dehydrating without spending tons of money on a machine. I really like it, but if I knew I was going to like dehydrating as much as I do and if I had had the money, I would have bought an Excalibur. However, the Nesco does everything I need it to, so I'm not necessarily disappointed.

I will also say that not having a timer is not a problem at all. I find that I check the food every couple hours and since I'm cutting everything by hand, there are slight variations in thickness, which means there are variations in drying time. I'm home a lot so this is not a bother for me. If you aren't home a lot and want to just leave it and go, you will likely want a timer.

[Tipi Walter]

I recently bought a dehydrator and am in the process of drying some foods. My question is how do you know how much water is needed for REhydration when the time comes? For example, we had some leftover beef stroganoff from dinner. I want to dehydrate it for later use on the trail. How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?

Too much water and you end up with backcountry soup, which isn't a real problem when rehydrating stuff like soups, chilis, beans, veggies and rice. Too much water is not good though when rehydrating pastas like mac and cheese and spaghetti. Watery spaghetti suks. Like Rocket Jones says, experience helps alot to figure this stuff out. You slowly know how much dry stuff in-hand makes a good meal with water in the pot.

BTW, right now I am drying up cooked mac and cheese and it works well because the pasta is already cooked and mixed with cheese and then dried---allowing the noodles to rehydrate in the field w/o cooking---ergo less cooking and just waiting in the cozy. In other words, you don't have to cook up a mac and cheese meal and wait 10 minutes using up precious fuel for the stuff to cook. It's cooked at home and dried, etc.

[wannahike]

I recently bought a dehydrator and am in the process of drying some foods. My question is how do you know how much water is needed for REhydration when the time comes? For example, we had some leftover beef stroganoff from dinner. I want to dehydrate it for later use on the trail. How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?

You can measure out a serving before you dehydrate, like a cup and then measure after it's dried and then you have an idea, if you end up with a 1/3 cup you need to add 2/3 cup water back. People do carry instant mashed potatoes to thicken if you add too much water.

[Butterfly58]

Thanks! Looks like I'll be doing some experimenting.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4

[Pedaling Fool]

I recently bought a dehydrator and am in the process of drying some foods. My question is how do you know how much water is needed for REhydration when the time comes? For example, we had some leftover beef stroganoff from dinner. I want to dehydrate it for later use on the trail. How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?Like others have said, I always put too much water in my rice meals (with a bunch of dehydrated stuff) to make a stew; it's just easier to make and easier to clean.

[geomaniac]

You measure out how much you normally eat, Weigh it before dehydrating it. Write down the weight. Dry it and weigh again. The difference in weight is how much water you add back.

[geomaniac]

OOPS I see somebody already answered...I must have missed that post somehow.

[wannahike]

OOPS I see somebody already answered...I must have missed that post somehow.


Well weight is probably more accurate than cups.

[shelb]

Can't keep seasoned zucchini chips in house as soon as they come off the trays, lol.

Will you share recipe?

[quasarr]

Butterfly, you have gotten some really scientific answers here! But I think measuring is not even necessary. For 95% of my dehydrated meals, I just put the food in the pot, pour in water until the food is completely covered with water, then heat! And like others have suggested, you can always pour in more water if you need to. Easy peasy! No weighing, no measuring :)

[Butterfly58]

Thanks for all the help! I'm getting ready to tackle making some jerky now. Anybody want to share recipes?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4

[quasarr]

I have posted this many times, it is my favorite link for dehydrating tips and recipes. No jerky recipes I think, but anyone looking to MYO meals should check it out!!

www.backpackingchef.com

[The Old Boot]

I recently bought a dehydrator and am in the process of drying some foods. My question is how do you know how much water is needed for REhydration when the time comes? For example, we had some leftover beef stroganoff from dinner. I want to dehydrate it for later use on the trail. How do I know what the right serving size is and how much water to add when it's time to eat it?

If it's leftovers that I'm dehydrating I measure the weight both before and after dehydrating, then I know how much moisture it's lost. I mark that on the outside of the ziplock before I throw it in the freezer for storage.

I also carry a small Philly cream cheese plastic container. It holds an even cup of water when filled to the brim and weighs less than an ounce..I'll take the weight penalty. I used to try to remember where the imaginary line was on my coffee mug but gave up after eating chili that was runny and having to resoak the spaghetti on a couple of trips.

When I'm packing my meals for a trip I also scribble the amount of water to be added to each meal on an index card and put it in my cook set. I suffer from CRS syndrome and got tired of guessing how much water to add when I was out in the bush. This has made all the difference in my enjoyment of meals out there.

BTW, beef stroganoff might not be the best leftovers to be dehydrating for starters. All of mine contain sour cream and milk products which don't always dehydrate the best. If it dehydrates well, make sure you store it in the freezer to keep the fat content from going rancid. Meals like that are probably best set up as individual ingredients to be assembled on site.

[Farr Away]

Except for stuff like fruit, I figure out the portions before I dry it. For things like salsa, I dry it in 1/2 cup portions. Those then go in snack size bags with - "Makes 1/2 cup" written on the bag with a sharpie.

When I put together meals, I write on the bag how much water and any other add-ins (cheese, foil pouch whatever, etc) that need to be added.

-FA

[Namtrag]

how does one rehydrate salsa...it's not watery to begin with, so adding water seems like it would just make it into a big mess? I am curious, because I love salsa, and just got a dehydrator for my birthday!

[Pedaling Fool]

how does one rehydrate salsa...it's not watery to begin with, so adding water seems like it would just make it into a big mess? I am curious, because I love salsa, and just got a dehydrator for my birthday!Add water.

Don't expect dehydrated salsa to have the same consistency once rehydrated. It's not watery because the bulk of the water (that was dehydrated away) was in the veggies.

[Namtrag]

Thanks, I am looking forward to getting started with my dehydrator this weekend when I have some time.

[Pedaling Fool]

Just be careful not to over-dehydrate, food should be pliable, not brittle; if you over-dehydrate it takes away from the nutrient value and most importantly, the taste:)


Also, if adding to your meals, such as rice, be careful not to overcook by adding to your meals too early. I use to add my tomatoes and such to the water at the beginning before the water was boiling; I've learned that most of my dehydrated stuff should be added just as my rice is ~75% done, that way it retains the flavor.

If done correctly dehydrated veggies for the most part taste much better than when raw, because the water in the raw state dilutes it to the point of reducing the taste.

[Tipi Walter]

Just be careful not to over-dehydrate, food should be pliable, not brittle; if you over-dehydrate it takes away from the nutrient value and most importantly, the taste:)


Also, if adding to your meals, such as rice, be careful not to overcook by adding to your meals too early. I use to add my tomatoes and such to the water at the beginning before the water was boiling; I've learned that most of my dehydrated stuff should be added just as my rice is ~75% done, that way it retains the flavor.

If done correctly dehydrated veggies for the most part taste much better than when raw, because the water in the raw state dilutes it to the point of reducing the taste.

Good advice. My latest mania has been store bought ripe tomatoes thin-sliced and dried on my silicone sheets. These babies reconstitute perfectly when on the trail and make a great addition to soups and bean meals, etc. Most commercially dried (sun dried) tomatoes are terrible.

My cooking technique for home-dried meals is always the same---no cooking! Put food in pot, cover with water, bring to boil, immediately shut off and place in pot cozy for 30 minutes. My fuel usage goes way down this way. All because of drying everything at home.

And as I said before, cooked brown rice can be dried on silicone sheets as is---but become hard little rocks which are very difficult for me to reconstitute. Even after 30 minutes in the pot cozy they remain hard kernals and not edible. Solution? As I already posted---blend up with milk (or other liquid) and pour on silicone sheets.

[Namtrag]

As I said above, I am a virgin dehydrator. I am looking at some cookbooks for my kindle, and one lady advocates cooking the entire meal, then dehydrating it. As opposed to dehydrating separate ingredients and mixing them and rehydrating them when you cook the meal on your trip.

In any case, what do you guys do, and what is a good book for a beginner? Thanks for the advice!!!

[Tipi Walter]

As I said above, I am a virgin dehydrator. I am looking at some cookbooks for my kindle, and one lady advocates cooking the entire meal, then dehydrating it. As opposed to dehydrating separate ingredients and mixing them and rehydrating them when you cook the meal on your trip.

In any case, what do you guys do, and what is a good book for a beginner? Thanks for the advice!!!

This is what I referred to in my Spaghetti post---cook up the whole wad with sauce like you're getting ready to eat it but instead dump it on your drying trays and let 'er rip. VOILA you've got a dried meal. I'm not much of a home cook so I don't make prepared meals but anyone who likes to cook could make some outstanding one pot stews and soups etc and dry like crazy. VOILA another great dinner to look forward to on the trail.

http://www.amys.com/images/uploads/products/000076.jpg

Here's another idea which I've been doing. I go to the grocery store in the frozen section and buy Amy's Burritos, esp like Southwestern. Go home, thaw and slice and dry slices. ZAP I've got a ziploc bag full of dried burritos which can be eaten like jerky---chewy and filling. A rare occasional bean gets too hard to eat but 99% of the thing is good.

[Namtrag]

That burrito idea is most outstanding!

[Pedaling Fool]

As I said above, I am a virgin dehydrator. I am looking at some cookbooks for my kindle, and one lady advocates cooking the entire meal, then dehydrating it. As opposed to dehydrating separate ingredients and mixing them and rehydrating them when you cook the meal on your trip.

In any case, what do you guys do, and what is a good book for a beginner? Thanks for the advice!!!I just dehydrate separately, but I NEVER dehydate pasta or rice. I really don't get that, it doesn't take that long to cook, which is the supposed reason I hear for most people that dehydrate that stuff. I dehydrate various veggies and jerkies and add to rice and make a stew out of it. Very delicious and has a lot of nutrients from the veggies.

However, I don't try and make overly elaborate meals on the trail, that's what town is for; it's just not worth the time for me.

[Tipi Walter]

That burrito idea is most outstanding!

Here are some more ideas if you don't like to cook at home---store bought stuff instead.

http://pnf.blob.core.windows.net/images/box_images/Butternut-Squash-450.png
This is a quart and can be found in most stores. Shake well and pour on your fruit leather trays and wait. Once dried it peels off in one big sheet and cooks up fast. Excellent backpacking dinner when mixed with dried tomatoes and dried brown rice.

See http://www.pacificfoods.com/food/soups.aspx

http://www.rightfoods.com/pics/products/rts_roastedpeppertomato_lg.jpg
McDougall's stuff is excellent too and this is one of my faves.

See
http://www.rightfoods.com/scripts/display_category.php?category_id=820


http://www.cascadianfarm.com/images/products/50324.jpg
This is another favorite and is in the frozen section, organic. Once dried you can eat them like candy or add them to hot soups as above.


http://www.amys.com/images/uploads/products/000502.jpg
Canned foods offer the dehydrator at home a lot of choices. This and the next several are some of my faves.

http://www.amys.com/images/uploads/products/000586.jpg
Very good.


http://www.amys.com/images/uploads/products/000506.jpg
Very good and oily but dries well.

Check them out---
http://www.amys.com/products/product-categories/soups

[Namtrag]

Thanks, Tipi! Lots of great and easy ideas. I am thinking I probably need to buy some fruit leather trays, as my unit didn't come with any.

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks, Tipi! Lots of great and easy ideas. I am thinking I probably need to buy some fruit leather trays, as my unit didn't come with any.

I have a TSM dehydrator with 5 trays measuring 16 inches by 14 inches. Along with this I purchased 5 silicone sheets as below---they are 14x14---perfect fit.

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/e/new-paraflexx-ultra-silicone-non-stick-drying-sheet-14-0-746497816.jpg.jpg
See

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/dehydration-accessories/drying-sheets/new-paraflexxtm-ultra-silicone-non-stick-drying-sheet-14

The whole contraption is expensive but if you backpack a lot---over a 100 nights a year---well, the savings are huge in dried food prices. Plus, you have unlimited choices. EVERYTHING NOT ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR GETS DRIED. Or nearly.

Another idea---make your favorite smoothies with apple juice, almonds, peanut butter, bananas, cashews, raisins, spinach, yogurt, honey, pineapple/coconut juice, etc. Blend thoroughly and make it not too liquid and not too thick. Pour entire blender container onto your trays. Dry. Peel off and ziploc. You've got a healthy candy you can eat on the trail.

[Namtrag]

Haha, sounds awesome. &nbsp;I did the typical starter dehydrator, a square Nesco FD-80 &nbsp;for $59 and free shipping. Came with 4 trays and I bought an extra 2. &nbsp;Will be ordering some fruit leather trays as well with the rest of my amazon birthday giftcard.<br><br>Love reading your trail journal, btw!

[Tipi Walter]

Haha, sounds awesome. &nbsp;I did the typical starter dehydrator, a square Nesco FD-80 &nbsp;for $59 and free shipping. Came with 4 trays and I bought an extra 2. &nbsp;Will be ordering some fruit leather trays as well with the rest of my amazon birthday giftcard.<br><br>Love reading your trail journal, btw!

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Namtrag]

Here is the book I was considering. I would welcome any other suggestions as well!

http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating/dp/0811726347/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1381254038&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=dehydrating+backpacking

[Hikes in Rain]

Excellent book, Namtrag. If you've ever had some of the Hawk Vittles, the recipies(and drying directions!) are in there. I use the heck out of my copy.

[Namtrag]

Excellent book, Namtrag. If you've ever had some of the Hawk Vittles, the recipies(and drying directions!) are in there. I use the heck out of my copy.

Thanks!! Will go ahead and get it.

[susiecruise]

I do love dehydrated tomates for many meals. Dinner, it always works. Soak them in what ever you are making. Cheese grits for breakfast with tomatoes and hot sauce will definitely get you going.

[geomaniac]

I like to dehydrate the flavored yogurt. I buy the individual cups of different flavors and spread them on my dehydrator sheets. They make a delicious trail snack kind of like fruit leather.

[Farr Away]

As far as a dehydrator cookbook goes, I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Bells-Dehydrator-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B00AXXUA36/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381320727&sr=1-1&keywords=mary+bell%27s+complete+dehydrator+cookboo k

-FA

[annamagpie]

Here is a great website and I got his book too. I love the book better than the other couple I have seen. http://www.backpackingchef.com/ His book: http://www.backpackingchef.com/recipes-for-adventure-ebook.html Maybe I love it because I am a sucker for full colour photos!

[Ewker]

another good site http://hungryhammockhanger.com/index.html

[wannahike]

I love dehydrating soups. I usually add dried coconut milk when rehydrating specially the butternut squash curry one I make. I really like the frozen burrito sliced and dried suggestion, sounds good.

[Tipi Walter]

I love dehydrating soups. I usually add dried coconut milk when rehydrating specially the butternut squash curry one I make. I really like the frozen burrito sliced and dried suggestion, sounds good.

Like I said, it works pretty good although there's the occasional hard bean. Amy's has many different burritos and some may dry better than others, etc. I've got two dried in a ziploc and ready to go for the next trip.

[annamagpie]

omg ya'll---I just dehydrated watermelon and it is the best, most delicious, yumminess ever--candy! I don't even like watermelon! Just don't cut it up in 1/2 inch cubes--it dried down to nothing. maybe try little inch squares--maybe even bigger.

[Tipi Walter]

omg ya'll---I just dehydrated watermelon and it is the best, most delicious, yumminess ever--candy! I don't even like watermelon! Just don't cut it up in 1/2 inch cubes--it dried down to nothing. maybe try little inch squares--maybe even bigger.

Blend up watermelon and pour it on fruit leather trays. Blend up cantaloupe and do the same. It is as you say like candy.

[annamagpie]

Blend up watermelon and pour it on fruit leather trays. Blend up cantaloupe and do the same. It is as you say like candy.

That is a great idea!

[Chef Glenn]

For energy conservation, I dry a full load of veggies that have similar moisture contents, which is pretty much most vegetables. Onions can take longer than other veggies, so I might dry them at the same time as diced tomatoes which also take longer.

Precooking some vegetables like corn, peas, carrots and green beans for six to eight minutes before dehydrating saves fuel on the trail since you can bring the meal to a boil and shut off the stove. I let my meals bubble for one minute or two minutes if the meal includes macaroni. It adds to the anticipation and satisfaction of a great meal. Precooking these vegetables also has the effect of preserving the colors... precooked vegetables tend to be darker. This is true for broccoli also.

[Chef Glenn]

http://www.amys.com/images/uploads/products/000076.jpg

Here's another idea which I've been doing. I go to the grocery store in the frozen section and buy Amy's Burritos, esp like Southwestern. Go home, thaw and slice and dry slices. ZAP I've got a ziploc bag full of dried burritos which can be eaten like jerky---chewy and filling. A rare occasional bean gets too hard to eat but 99% of the thing is good.

Great idea! Have you tried heating and rehydrating it in a pot with water? Might make a tasty hot lunch. Are you drying and consuming these pretty quick? Cheese and the fat in the refried beans could be a problem for longer term storage.

[Chef Glenn]

BTW, beef stroganoff might not be the best leftovers to be dehydrating for starters. All of mine contain sour cream and milk products which don't always dehydrate the best. If it dehydrates well, make sure you store it in the freezer to keep the fat content from going rancid. Meals like that are probably best set up as individual ingredients to be assembled on site.

Good advice. For short term use, you can get away with including small amounts of cheese in a dehydrated meal, but there is a risk of the fats adding moisture to the other ingredients which could cause mold growth. Fats don't really evaporate like water in the dehydrator. You can see and feel the oily residue dispersed in the dried food. I don't dehydrate anything with cheese or fatty meats like sausage since there are so many other risk-free options for delicious meals. Like Old Boot, I use commercial cheese and milk powders added to meals on the trail. Annie's brand makes a great mac/cheese powder and stroganoff powder that comes with the noodles/macaroni in a box. I like the NIDO brand of powdered whole milk. I do love cheese, so sometimes I carry a small block of hard cheddar separately and eat it in a day or two.

[Chef Glenn]

how does one rehydrate salsa...it's not watery to begin with, so adding water seems like it would just make it into a big mess? I am curious, because I love salsa, and just got a dehydrator for my birthday!

One way to enjoy salsa is to combine it with beans and turn it into bark. Combine 1/2 cup of salsa with one 15-oz can of drained black beans. (or any other beans) Run it through a blender and dry on non-stick sheet, spread thinly, at 135 F for approximately ten hours. Bean bark will be crumbly. You can eat it dry, rehydrated with a small amount of water if you want to spread it on tortilla or pita bread, or add it to rice meals as the primary flavor element with other dried meats and veggies.

[GeoRed]

backpackingchef.com is a neat site I've found.

[GeoRed]

Has anyone ever cooked and then dehydrated barley? If so, does it work well?

[CMags]

omg ya'll---I just dehydrated watermelon and it is the best, most delicious, yumminess ever--candy! I don't even like watermelon! Just don't cut it up in 1/2 inch cubes--it dried down to nothing. maybe try little inch squares--maybe even bigger.


Dehydrate some jalapeno slices and mix them up with your watermelon. You're welcome.

[Farr Away]

Has anyone ever cooked and then dehydrated barley? If so, does it work well?
Yes, I did, and yes, it did. Assuming of course that you like barley.

-FA

[Wise Old Owl]

dried barley works well with dried soups... I haven't used it much...

[GeoRed]

I do like barley and thanks for your replies. I'm cooking some today to dehydrate out tomorrow :)

[Namtrag]

We went all in on the dehydrating. I got a Nesco square shaped dehydrator with a top fan for my birthday, and we decided to go paleo for a while to see how we do...even for backpacking. We are cutting out processed grains and starches. So we have a trip this weekend to Neusiok Trail, then to Tinker Cliffs next weekend. We have dehydrated the following meals: Spaghetti squash with ground beef, and homemade sauce dried to a bark; canned chicken which we are going to make buffalo chicken salad with on the trail by adding powdered ranch and hot sauce; sweet potato bark which we are going to mix dehydrated apples and nuts to make a breakfast porridge, and we are currently dehydrating some homemade buffalo chili. For trail mix we have dehydrated pineapple, and bananas to mix with nuts, and we have made several batches of jerky for snacks. We love dehydrating and it ensures we control what chemicals are in our food!

[GeoRed]

I'm dehydrating green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions, peas, and bell peppers for some meals coming up and my question is: should I blanch off any of these prior to dehydrating? My thoughts are mixed and I can't find any good advice on the internet.

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm dehydrating green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions, peas, and bell peppers for some meals coming up and my question is: should I blanch off any of these prior to dehydrating? My thoughts are mixed and I can't find any good advice on the internet.The reason you can't find definite answers is because there are not many absolutes in dehydrating; there are only guidelines and everyone modifies to suit their tastes. Some people are almost purists in blanching and others not so much.

Personally, I wouldn't blanch any of that stuff, even the carrots, which many dehydrating cookbooks recommend you steam/blanch for ~3 minutes; I never did and never had a problem.

Disclaimer: There is one food that I've found (although, there may be others) that MUST be blanched and they are Potatoes. If I don't blanch them they turn black; I don't know maybe that's alright, but it just doesn't look right, so I blanch them.

It's best just to look at the guidelines and experiment a little.

[GeoRed]

The reason you can't find definite answers is because there are not many absolutes in dehydrating; there are only guidelines and everyone modifies to suit their tastes. Some people are almost purists in blanching and others not so much.

Personally, I wouldn't blanch any of that stuff, even the carrots, which many dehydrating cookbooks recommend you steam/blanch for ~3 minutes; I never did and never had a problem.

Disclaimer: There is one food that I've found (although, there may be others) that MUST be blanched and they are Potatoes. If I don't blanch them they turn black; I don't know maybe that's alright, but it just doesn't look right, so I blanch them.

It's best just to look at the guidelines and experiment a little.

Thanks for your advice! I'm thinking of just super small dicing and not blanching to make sure I get flavors throughout my dishes and not crunchy vegetables. If I get a little crunch, it's cool. I doubt I'm going to care much once I'm on the trail.

[annamagpie]

Dehydrate some jalapeno slices and mix them up with your watermelon. You're welcome.
I just dehydrated some jalapeno slices. I have never tasted anything hotter! I'll put them in my watermelon bag--that sounds yummy.

[Pedaling Fool]

I just dehydrated some jalapeno slices. I have never tasted anything hotter! I'll put them in my watermelon bag--that sounds yummy.I believe that's because when the water is removed it accentuates the heat, in the same way the taste of dehydrated tomatoes are accentuated.

[WingedMonkey]

I just dehydrated some jalapeno slices. I have never tasted anything hotter! I'll put them in my watermelon bag--that sounds yummy.

Just wonder if you took the seeds and membrane out?

I do, still hot but not killer hot like my cayenne I grow and dry.

[WingedMonkey]

I'm dehydrating green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions, peas, and bell peppers for some meals coming up and my question is: should I blanch off any of these prior to dehydrating? My thoughts are mixed and I can't find any good advice on the internet.

Peppers or onions I don't.

Carrots, beans, peas and corn I use frozen that are already blanched.

[Different Socks]

Been drying red/black raspberries, strawberries, shrooms, peas, corn, spinach, onions and much more. Only found out recently just how much the dryer increases my electric bill. I was actually shocked, but then i was using it almost 24/7.

[annamagpie]

Just wonder if you took the seeds and membrane out?

I do, still hot but not killer hot like my cayenne I grow and dry. No seeds--there might have been some membranes. I 'd previously frozen them and took them straight form the freezer. Maybe the freezing made them hot too?

[Traffic Jam]

Just wonder if you took the seeds and membrane out?

I do, still hot but not killer hot like my cayenne I grow and dry.

I just dried a batch of sliced sweet peppers and sliced jalapenos drizzled with lime juice and sea salt. I left the seeds and membranes in the jalapenos. They're spicy and delicious.

[Pedaling Fool]

Been drying red/black raspberries, strawberries, shrooms, peas, corn, spinach, onions and much more. Only found out recently just how much the dryer increases my electric bill. I was actually shocked, but then i was using it almost 24/7.How much does it cost?

What type dehydrator are you using?

[WingedMonkey]

I just dried a batch of sliced sweet peppers and sliced jalapenos drizzled with lime juice and sea salt. I left the seeds and membranes in the jalapenos. They're spicy and delicious.

Guess it's a matter of taste (buds).

:)

I put up lots of jalapeno jelly from the garden. My dad says it's too hot and I have to take it away from my mom before she eats a whole pint.

[Traffic Jam]

Yesterday I peeled, boiled, and mashed 3 sweet potatoes. Added several tbsp of chia seeds and made bark. Ate some in my oatmeal this morning with a sprinkle of apple pie spice...delicious. Did a batch of carrots and green beans this week and ground chicken and rice casserole.

[Traffic Jam]

One of my favorite dehydrated meals;
Couscous, black beans, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, Cajun seasoning.

[ChinMusic]

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/super-slim-mcdonald-diet-leads-weight-loss-man-article-1.1566465


Science teacher Joe Cisna reported he lost 37 pounds by eating an all-McDonald’s diet for 90 days. He did it by adjusting the meals into a sensible diet.


Cisna, a science teacher at Colo-Nesco High School, he and three students who also did the experiment planned a strict diet using McDonald's food to plan meals that would result in a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Their meal plan also would not exceed recommended dietary allowances for nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fat calories and cholesterol.

A typical meal for Cisna included egg white delights and oatmeal with 1 percent milk in the morning, a salad at lunch and a traditional value meal for dinner, the station reported.

[leaftye]

I've been using my dehydrator more lately, and plan to use it even more soon. I just got a couple more trays and some liners so I can dehydrate sauces.


How much does it cost?

What type dehydrator are you using?

That'd depend on your local power utility. A Nesco FD-60 uses 1/2 kilowatts at full power. Multiply by hours used and however much your utility charges per kwh. Electricity cost pushed me to add more trays to my dehydrator so I can reduce dehydrating times by using thinner slices without dehydrating less.


Too much water and you end up with backcountry soup, which isn't a real problem when rehydrating stuff like soups, chilis, beans, veggies and rice. Too much water is not good though when rehydrating pastas like mac and cheese and spaghetti. Watery spaghetti suks. Like Rocket Jones says, experience helps alot to figure this stuff out. You slowly know how much dry stuff in-hand makes a good meal with water in the pot.

BTW, right now I am drying up cooked mac and cheese and it works well because the pasta is already cooked and mixed with cheese and then dried---allowing the noodles to rehydrate in the field w/o cooking---ergo less cooking and just waiting in the cozy. In other words, you don't have to cook up a mac and cheese meal and wait 10 minutes using up precious fuel for the stuff to cook. It's cooked at home and dried, etc.

Using lots of parmesan cheese helps with watery spaghetti. Dehydrated onions can help thicken foods, and even though it won't fully rehydrate when added late in the process, I've found it acceptable. Adding crackers or powdered milk/cheese can help with some foods. I should try powdered beans. I think that will work with most meals.

I really like your idea of cooking fully prepared pasta beforehand. I'm able to use uncooked pasta, but that's when using a bulky cozy made with 3/4" closed foam with double thickness top and bottom...and even that's barely adequate.